Is it Bedtime Yet? Reflections from the First Week

It's Friday night of the first week of school.  I've had a diet coke and iced tea this afternoon to try and stay awake until my real bedtime.  But I'm dragging big time.  I've been sitting and reflecting on this last week.  Here are the highlights: 

1.  I LOVE my class.  I have 31 kids in the room, very respectful, yet I'm already seeing their personalities.  It's going to be a good year. 

2. So far most of the kids are able to track with me through the different activities.

3.  Fun Friday still works like a charm. Better get that work done to do those awesome STEM activities.  

4.  The kids aren't being bugged with wearing masks or my reminders to sanitize indoors.  

5.  I've been wearing my voice amplifier in the afternoons because my voice hurts by that time of day. I keep forgetting to drink enough water.... 

6.  We have 4 vacancies at school, but other teachers are also currently out.  We do not have enough subs, so I have been able to teach middle school during my prep as class coverage.... Turns out that it's my pandemic group from 2 years ago when the world shut down, so a lot of catching up with the kids.  :)  

7.  I sent out messages to all my parents over on Class Dojo this week, just little things to show them that I've noticed their child. :)  As a parent I like those type of messages, so it's one of my goals for the first week of school to get to everyone.  

8. We had Back to School night last night - virtual sessions again.  I had almost forgotten how to share my screen for my powerpoint... totally had a mental block.

9. Teaching 31 kids again in person for the first time in 17 months is exhausting, but very rewarding.  I hope we stay healthy.

10.  We had a lot of fun this week between Growth Mindset STEM challenges, Book Tasting, I Like My Neighbor Who, and This or That.

Now onto the beautiful weekend and then to hopefully have a calmer week next week.  :)  

Hope you had a good one too!

Goodbye Summer

Anyone else have a pile of stuff in their dining room, ready to head back to school? Today is the last day of my vacation... and I have yet another doctor appointment.  Yeah, it is what it is...

Summer... what a blast it has been. 

A relaxing blast.  

A stressful blast.

A life changing blast.

This summer was the one that we pretty much stayed home.  We didn't have any big trips.  We stayed close to home.  It is what it is... sometimes autism and anxiety limit our family adventures. It is our life.

My oldest chauffeured me around a lot and then got his license.

We tackled well child checks, eye appointments, dental visits, etc...

We visited multiple colleges.

My youngest had a dental procedure which required general anesthesia. Kind of a stressful mommy moment...

I read a lot of books - none of which were professional development.  The Kindle Unlimited membership came in handy.

I watched TV shows and movies. 

I met up with friends. Adult conversation is the best.  

I did a lot of miles on the bike.

I walked a ton. When it got hot, I found videos on Youtube that helped. My kids joined me.

My husband quit his job and is transferring to a new career.  

I found out I'm diabetic. 

I'm learning a lot. I'm being stretched. There have been a lot more appointments to fit in before school starts.  

But now school is starting. Year 22. It's hitting me that I was 22 when I got my first classroom.  Half my life I've been teaching... That makes me feel old.  

And my own kids now being a senior, sophomore, and sixth grader aren't helping either. I'm almost the shortest one in my house.  Getting ready for an emotional senior mom year. 

I'm hopeful though.  It has to be easier than last year, right?

So on this last day of summer, I'm trying to relax and do one last thing for me. I hope you are able to do something for you too.  

Hope you have a great day!

Deep Down Dog Tired

This time of year is not for the weak of heart. I’m exhausted, and just need to talk to people who totally get it. 

State testing vibes...

I know we are in the final stretch of this absolutely crazy year. I could barely drag myself out the door to school yesterday. I am just so done. 

I’m tired of pulling teeth. I’m tired of the apathy. I'm tired of having to be positive all the time. I’m tired with being on duty 24-7. I’m tired with all the paperwork. I’m tired of state testing. I’m tired of nagging. I’m tired of the Swiss cheese looking gradebook- full of holes.

It has never been this hard before.

It’s hard enough in a normal year to get kids to understand the importance of doing their best effort. Right now, virtually and with hybrid, it feels impossible.  I’ve gone from most turning in their work on time to now half my class. What changed? Spring break... they came back just done.

They are tired. Families are tired. I think everyone is over it.

We are 2/3 through state testing.

But we aren’t done yet. 20 more school days. 10 more days of grades then time to fill in the report cards. 5 more days until textbook check in starts. 4 more days of math state testing, then 4 days of Fast bridge testing. Then finally the last 2 weeks when we can have a little fun to wrap up the year.  

I ask them to finish strong. I put their grades in their private channels and remind them of their missing work. I hold afternoon question sessions to help with intervention, and no one shows up. I give opportunities to retake past district tests to show mastery. I email and Class Dojo. I don’t know if anyone reads what I write anymore. I’m so tired. 

20 more days. 20 more days to make a difference and shine a light with this group. To hold these kids accountable. Then they are in middle school. 

Every Thursday is Thankful Thursday. Every Thursday so many kids tell me that they are thankful for me. That makes me feel good. I’m thankful for them too. But I’m just so done. 

How can I finish strong?

I write that and verses pop in my head, things that I’ve read and memorized. I need to rest. I need to close the laptop and recharge. The Lord gives strength. 

Isaiah 40: 29-31 "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 41:10b "I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Where does my joy come from? It comes from the Lord, Maker of Heaven and Earth. Automatic response, but am I really living like it? Or am I trying to do every thing on my own strength? 

Thanks for letting me just talk and for being real.  I needed that today.  I'll get back to sharing the positives next time. There are positives right now too. Even when all hard things seem to be overwhelming.  

How are you doing?

I hope you have the most restful weekend.  

 

Grateful for this Last Year

It’s been a while since I did a chat about my own special kids.

I have 3 kids. 

All boys, preteens and teenagers.

Now before you ask, nope - we aren’t having any more. 

That train left the station a very long time ago. :)

If you were to look at my boys, they are turning into young men. I mean a countdown is kind of forming. 

Counting down to summer. To a drivers license. To a first job. To senior year and then all the college decisions. And that’s only for my oldest in the next 4ish months. Then my middle, counting down to when he will actually step foot on his high school campus for the first time. All the fun that will happen next year. Of Friday night lights, of finally meeting those high school buddies. Or getting his permit and starting to teach him how to drive. So much he gets to experience. Or when my youngest will get to start attending our middle school and youth group. There’s a lot of fun things, big things, on the horizon. Change. 

Over spring break I had an epiphany. Of all the times that I have been sad over how fast the years have flown. This last year has been a blessing in many ways. I have been able to appreciate their day to day moments, that in other circumstances, normal circumstances, I would have missed. When time has slowed down and we had more family time. When we had to rely on each other more. When we had to think outside the box. Of all the obstacles that we’ve tackled. 

I have given so many home haircuts over the last year.

We’ve also seen first hand exactly how our own kids learn with their academics and have been able to support them, get some habits and organizational things going that will help in the future. Two of my kids have IEPs, and all three have done really well this year, all things considering. There has been growth. There are still challenges, but I'm proud of my kids.

All these years of being busy and rushing to the next thing and phase... I have been so focused on the lasts of things. All the milestones that have passed for my kids. I guess it’s easy to get moody about what’s passed by, and what they missed out on this school year, but I need to remember there has been so much good too that has happened and is on the way. So much that is still coming. My kids are still kids.  There is still more to cherish.  

Like summer... I can't wait until summer... 

What did you learn this year? What are you looking forward to?

State Testing - What I've Learned

Just when you think you can't learn anything else in one year, let's throw in state testing - virtual and in person.  

In person - it's feels like past years.  They come in, log in, and do their thing. But there is the component that the kids are not coming each day, and have to readjust their school device for each testing session. It's easier to readjust on some computers than others. Some days this week I feel like a computer genius, other moments I just want to give up.  I don't have extra devices like in past years, so when a computer isn't working then there isn't the choice of grabbing another one for a kid to use.  That's been hard.

Virtual - it's nothing at all like past years.  Kids have to log into our TEAMS meeting to get the code, then get the server to work on their device. If they picked up their school device and still have their home device at home, they can talk to me on TEAMS for me to help problem solve from a distance until they get onto the server.  That has been helpful. Some kids have had an older sibling or parent help with downloading a server, some kids are doing it by themselves.  That's been hard. The actual virtual server is pretty cool.  Being able to see the kids working, send them messages, and have mini meetings to check in. That is pretty cool. 

Tech things that I've learned:

*TEAMS has to be completely shut down, there are settings in each student's profile that need to be un-checked so it doesn't automatically restart.  If TEAMS is running, even if it's hidden, then it won't let them log into the server. Since the kids are logging into TEAMS on the days they don't test for attendance and to work on their assignments, well, it's a lot of readjusting.  

*I've learned that the in class kids have to be logged into the actual district wifi, not the distance learning wifi, or the district guest wifi.  If it's not the real one, then it will kick them out.  

*I've learned that kids need to keep their finger on their mousepad, because if the screen saver turns on (like if they are reading something for a long time), then the screen saver will kick them out.  

*I've learned that a hard reboot can fix a lot of stuff - like a hard reboot of holding the power button for over a minute and waiting and watching a clock...

*I've learned how to redownload the testing server on student devices because the newest one isn't the one that was downloaded earlier on in the year.  

*I've been reminded that restarting a computer can fix almost anything and that when one asks kids to make sure that their devices are charged for the next day, that there will always be one or two that need access to a power outlet.  :)  

*Each day is getting easier... That seems to be the motto for the school year.  

*Countdown - 26 more school days until Summer.  

Hope you had a good day.  P.S. - It's almost Friday. :)  

Spring Break 2021

It’s spring break. It’s been a beautiful week, full of family time, both inside and outside.

Guess what we’ve done this week?

Easter was a lot of fun. A lot of those traditions that I thought my boys have outgrown, but they haven’t. Kids are still kids.  It’s just changed so the boys were running things. Our egg hunt this year was gigantic. One kid hid eggs for his brothers in the front yard, another kid hid eggs in the backyard, and one hid downstairs in the house. Then we moved from location to location as the other two went racing all over finding the eggs. Some eggs were filled, some were empty. So still the challenge of finding all the eggs, but they didn’t know how much candy they got until it was all over. They had a lot of funwatching their brothers. So much joy. 

We also decorated eggs... This year I used the air fryer to hard boil them. 250 for 16 minutes, then an ice bath for 5 minutes. It worked great and it was nice I didn’t have to boil water, wait for my instant pot to come to pressure, or wait for the oven to preheat. It was definitely the easiest and fastest way to get a lot of eggs done.

Our church had a Good Friday walk through in the parking lot, and Easter services were also outside, chairs in the parking lot, and then we had Easter lunch with my dad and sister. It was really nice. 

The rest of the week has been doing random projects , organizing, and relaxing. 

My oldest is a junior in high school. So this week has also been about visiting college campuses. We’ve visited 5 schools around here. 4 on a single day. With all 5 of us in the car for 6 hours. That’s a lot of numbers. Going back and forth with benefits of junior colleges vs university. Private school vs. public. Small college vs larger. Money stuff... lots of money stuff... Thinking of majors... timelines... Along with all of that I’ve been wrestling that he’s old enough to do all of this. What happened to my baby boy? 

I’ve also spent a lot of time in the passenger seat as my kid practices with his drivers permit. The goal was to tackle 8 hours during spring break. Learning night driving skills and working his way to get ready for the freeway. He’s driven me all over this town and the back roads. Then he’s done the same with his dad. I’m not ready for the freeway. I think he’s ready though.

Have I mentioned lately how much of a control freak I am? 

Yesterday would have been my mom’s birthday. I spent some time with my dad, had her favorite meal for lunch, and we went through their wedding album. Most days don’t hurt anymore, but yesterday was hard. I miss her a lot. She was a great lady, and memories are sweet.

Today I get to have a date day with my husband. Again. After the last year of our dates being the extent of runnings errands together, not being able to leave the boys at home alone for too long, a few Saturdays ago we went to Half Moon Bay for a day. Dropped the kids off with my dad and headed to the beach. It was to celebrate our anniversary. 19 years. :) Today we are doing the same thing but heading to Monterey. I feel blessed. It’s a beautiful day. I hope places are open. That’s the hard part. Not knowing what is open or not. That’s why the kids aren’t coming with us. Well that's one reason...

It’s nice to spend time as a couple. Walking around, not on a schedule, holding hands, sitting and chatting, relaxing in a beautiful setting. I’m so excited. When we are in parent mode there's always a schedule, and we have to keep going and going... we are just like that Energizer Bunny. Today I get to just be with my hubby and I am grateful.  

But come tomorrow real life will descend again, and I have to open up my plan book and make sure everything is ready to go for next week. I have my list with all the review. We have 1 week before state testing starts and it’s time to kick it into full gear. There is so much more to prep with hybrid. 

I wish spring break didn’t have to end. I hope you have had a wonderful break too. 

What is Your Why?

Once upon a time there lived a young girl that wanted to change the world, so she became a teacher. 

Why did you go into education? What is your why? 

I think it’s easy to forget when we get bogged down into the nitty gritty. 

I want to make learning fun. 

I want kids to know they are special. 

I want them to know that they have someone in their corner. 

I want to make a difference in the next generation. 

I want to be part of their school story.

I want to teach kids to fall in love with learning.

What is your why? 

I just finished this 40 day Social Media fast... well technically I’m still on it because I just can’t bring myself to log into the different platforms. I really like the quiet.

Something I’ve learned in the last 6 weeks of not having the noise, is how loud the questions can get when nothing else distracts you. Those internal questions. Those essential questions. Those thought provoking questions that come when I’m sitting in silence. 

What is my purpose? What is my next step supposed to be? Am I supposed to do something else? I love being a teacher. But it does make me wonder.

What is your why? 

Happy Spring Break!

Best Teacher Ever

A little about me...

I’m a wife, mom, daughter, sister, and aunt. This is my 21st year in the classroom as a teacher, but I basically grew up in one as a daughter to a teacher.

I think my mom was the one that inspired me to be a teacher. She was the best teacher ever. Mom taught Kinder through 2nd grade, and after 36 years she retired. 

She grew up in Michigan, and after sliding her car into 2 snow drifts that first year of teaching, she went home and told my grandparents she was moving to California. And she did. And they followed her out here. :)

Growing up we always had the big family trip to help Mom set up her classroom. It was in a different town, kind of a commute, so the family loaded up the belongings and would spend a day at the end of the summer working together, helping mom. My sister and I would move the desks and take things out of cabinets. Dad would move the big furniture and help with bulletin boards, and Mom would do everything else. Dad would always go pick up Togo’s sandwiches from down the street, and we’d have a picnic in the classroom. When we had helped, we got to play with the toys that were tucked away or out on the playground, right outside her door.

Back then, when we had a day off of school, Mom would bring us to help her in her classroom. I got to be her TA, mostly at home, but also sometimes in her classroom. She would make the magic come alive for her little kids. 

Oh, and the piles of papers... all those little readers we would fold and staple for her, the pages to rip out from the workbooks... There was always something to help with. I loved it. Every year Dad and Mom would sit down together to make the personalized name tags for her school kids.  Dad would design it and then hand draw them over and over, Mom would write their names with her perfect handwriting. But that’s just what my family did. Family helped each other. Good memories. 

When I got my first classroom, Mom made sure to come and help me too. I don't know if she ever understood why I gravitated to upper elementary. Her heart was for the little ones. But she still blessed me by coming to help. Both my parents did. I didn't have to be alone and be overwhelmed. She would help me find the next step.

Mom taught me a lot about teaching. How a career can be more than a job, it’s a passion. It’s a gift and to view it as a gift. How to be organized, how to be find your own nitch, how to be yourself. To love each kid, especially on their worst day.  To see them as Jesus does. To be His hands and feet.  To pray for them and their families. She taught me a lot about a lot of stuff. I miss her. 

I wonder what she would think about this year. It’s been kind of crazy. It’s been 3 1/2 years but I can still remember one of our last deep conversations. She told me she was proud of me. Today, I want to pass on Mom’s message to you too. 

“I’m proud of you, for what you have done and what you are going to do. For who you have become. You go out there and make a difference.”

I wish you could have all met her. She was the best. 

Love you Mom. 

Week 1 Hybrid Concurrent - What I’ve Learned

I’ve learned that I’m easily exhausted.

I’ve learned that I feel safe in the classroom with the kids. 

I’ve learned that we are easily adaptable. 

I've learned that it's easy to put your guard down.

I’ve learned that the routines we’ve made all year with using TEAMs have transferred to this new way. We are still doing breakout groups, the online kids log into our meeting for breakout groups. They wear their headphones to hear the classmates and then whisper into their microphones. They log into TEAMs to do online paperwork. 

I’ve learned that it gets hot teaching in a mask. My mini fan is coming in handy. I’ve learned that straw water bottles are the best thing since sliced bread. It’s wonderful to drink without taking off my mask. I've learned that the blue paper masks make my nose itch, but I really like the yellow ones.

I’ve learned there is so much joy that has come back with having kids in the classroom. Even with the reminders to give space. 

I’ve learned that the quiet kids online are not necessarily quiet in the classroom. That they have come out of their shell and it’s so neat to see their personalities. I’ve learned I made some assumptions that aren’t true. I’ve also learned that some assumptions are true... 

I’ve learned that the relationships we’ve built all year are so important right now. The kids coming to school feel safe and are happy. The distance learning kids know they can count on me. I’ve learned to ask feedback questions in their group channels, and remembered to send out individual notes in their private channels. It makes my heart happy to see their responses. We’ve made their days. 

I’m learning how to give the in class vs at home different tasks to accomplish the same purpose. In class have become my worker bees- the leaders in breakout groups to record answers, make posters, and my volunteers in front of the webcam. Its really nice to not have to direct teach every moment of the morning. 

I’ve learned the technology this week so that we can hear and see all the kids at the same time. I’ve learned the beauty of the webcam microphone that allows at home to hear all the kids in the classroom. I’m not stuck in front of my computer all morning. I’ve learned to check the volume on the projector when the webcam is on. I won’t soon forget that horrible sound... :)

I’ve learned to slow down and take a break when needed. The at home kids didn’t mind at all when we needed to go outside for a few moments to take a water and mask break. It’s a really long morning until recess. Along with that I’ve learned the importance of still having fun. Playing games, even if it’s only a few minutes of the day. 

I’ve learned that we go through a lot of hand sanitizer each day, and that a paper cut then has the constant reminder.  :/ I’ve learned to use my front table to put out materials that the kids can easily pick up, so I don't need to spend time going desk to desk. I've learned to plan way in advance. What day do I need to share or pass out this paper? What day do I need to put this on the whiteboard? What day do I need to do this? I already knew I need notes and checklists, but this week I learned how much I really need the reminders.  

Yeah, I’ve learned a lot this week. Which is probably why I’m exhausted, yet happy. Every day is getting a little easier. I hope you had a great week too! 

A Mommy Post

Good morning.  I'm writing today as a mommy.  No pin-able images, just me chatting.  I was thinking the other day how different this summer has been from last summer.  It's a good thing.  Really!  A lot can change in a year, and I'm so thankful.

Last summer I had to deal with full blown temper tantrums numerous times a day.  I had to give multiple time outs, my patience was really low, and my blood pressure was really high.  My middle was 8 and he would act out constantly, sometimes hurting me or another person in the family.  We thought it was him just being stubborn.  We didn't understand how he was so different from my other 2, we were doing the same rewards/consequences with everyone and it just wasn't working.

Last summer was the huge lightbulb moment.  The fact that my little 4 year old would act more mature than my 8 year old was a big deal.  I teach 4th.  I know this age, and something was different. Then I had confirmation when a friend posted about her son.  It was a Facebook message about how he was upset over a piece of chicken on his fork.  We'd had that same temper tantrum over the same thing in my house.  I learned about Oppositional Defiance Disorder.  I learned about it and realized we needed help or we would end up with a teenager in jail.

So we emailed the doctor in August.  It was rushed through the proper channels and soon he was being retested for ADHD.  I didn't think he had ADHD.  I mean he had a hard time memorizing math facts, but he wouldn't get up and wander.  He didn't seem to fit the picture I had in my mind.  I didn't understand the correlation then, but ODD occurs in one out of 5 kids that have ADHD.  He was diagnosed with ADHD in September and we chose to start medication.

It was our choice.  As a teacher I have seen the miracles that happen when students are able to focus.  I was skeptical still whether or not he had ADHD.  Honestly, I thought the doctors were wrong.  BUT the medicine wouldn't have worked if it wasn't ADHD.  His brain was running constantly, and the stimulate works opposite in kids with ADHD.  It actually calms down their brains for them to be able to focus.  We saw an immediate change.

We started behavior therapy for the ODD portion of it.  It was a family thing... we learned how my son's mind is like cobwebs and he's trying to focus through it.  The medicine clears the cobwebs away.  The doctors have said that the medicine doesn't do anything for the ODD part, but we've seen that when he's able to focus and reason, he doesn't get as frustrated so easily.  Less frustration equals less meltdowns.

We went to a ticket program in our home for half of last school year.  He would earn his rewards.  It was a way for him to be able to recognize all the rewards that he was taking for granted.  He would have to "work" for them.  Be a helper, earn a ticket.  Take a shower, earn a ticket.  Do your best on your homework, earn a ticket.  Y'all know how much I dislike real tickets though, so I used ticket clip art to put 30 on a page and he would highlight them.  The tickets added up into prizes - game time, watching a show, getting a McDonald's ice cream, etc.  

We were able to go from there to switching to "If you do this, then you can do that". That's where we are now.  We've had regressions and have gone back to the tickets when we need to.  He doesn't like them, but he likes the rewards he can earn.  He will now go weeks between huge meltdowns.  He will go days between time outs.  He doesn't physically hurt us anymore.  That's what I meant when I said that it's such a huge difference from one year to the next.  I'm so thankful for all I've learned this year.  

I wish I had been taught more about ADHD years ago, so I could have seen the signs earlier.  I wish I had been told how it's not just a focus thing, it's a brain thing.  I wish I had understood so I could have helped my son earlier, so I could have helped my students better.  Understanding is a gift.

Thanks for listening to our story.

TPTSellersChallenge: Dare to Dream

I'm linking up once again with the #TPTSellersChallenge, this week is to share (via blogging) what our dreams are regarding our stores' success.

So... My Dreams:

1.  I want to get out from all this debt.  3 kids = debt.  I want to not have a car payment, or a credit card payment every month.  I want to not be scared of the PG&E bill in the summer months.  I want to know that we will stay in the black every single month.  TPT definitely helps to pay the bills every single month.

2. Savings - This was one of the main reasons I started TPTing.  To pad our savings account.  These days we sigh and say, "What savings?"  Our rainy day fund has already run dry this summer with the need for 4 new tires and a new dryer on the first day of summer break.  I want to be able to know that we will be able to retire when it's time to retire.  I want to be able to know that we can help others. We'll someday build it back up.

3.  College x 3 is looming toward us... at least we still have 7 years to go before we start that ride!  My oldest is already 11... the past 11 years have zoomed by, and month by month we have been able to put money away in their college accounts.  Hopefully we will be able to afford their textbooks when it's time!  I dream that TPT will be able to help pad those accounts as well.  

4.  VACATION!  I love vacations with my family, and we are blessed to have our parents invite us along on family trips.  I dream of the day that we can do that as well.  I would love to be able to take a Disney cruise, or travel the paths of Jerusalem, or stop by the Eiffel tower, or wander around Rome.  Someday...

So THANK YOU for helping my dreams to come true by all your support over on TPT.  

Public Service Announcement: My Store is On Sale

This week has been absolutely wonderful.  Spending days with my family with the beach in the background... sure beats the 100 degree heat of living in the valley.  Celebrating my hubby's birthday, visiting CA missions with my now fourth grader, eating at all our favorite spots...  This is what vacation is all about.

Then we got home, and laundry happened.  I lost count of all the loads I tackled Thursday and Friday.  Trying to get my boys back into home mode (rather than at the beach mode).... mainly meaning trying to motivate them to complete chores.  "Let's clean your room!"  "I need you to empty the dishwasher."  All the "fun" things that I don't have to say during our time away.  

Hubby and I have stayed up way too late the last couple of nights having a TV marathon, catching up on shows and I was updating products over on TPT.  Changing up covers, adding some extra pages, etc.  This morning I was looking at my statistics, and realized that there are a lot of wish listed products.  That makes me super happy, so I wanted to throw a sale.  EVERYTHING is included in the next 3 days... even bundles are 20% off!

Hope it helps!  

ADHD & ODD - What a Roller Coaster!

I'm sorry that I haven't blogged much this school year.  It's been a roller coaster the past few months.  This summer we finally contacted the doctor to request testing for our son.  He was having temper tantrums multiple times a day.  He's 8, and most of the time he was acting younger than our 4 year old.  Love him, don't like the behavior.  Completely draining.  It was like something snapped, and what used to be just stubbornness and impulsivity had turned physical and verbal.  Time outs were more common, he was saying mean things to our family members.  That's not how we have raised our son, and we didn't know what was going on.  

A friend mentioned her son had a temper tantrum about chicken pieces on his fork, that it was the life of an ADHD and ODD child, and it clicked that we had had the same temper tantrum the week before with our son.  We requested testing and they forwarded our information onto the Mental Health department.  Everything moved in super sonic speed in August, and I went in for a parent orientation.  Then they called later on that day and set up an appt. with a child psychologist in another town for the next week.  He recommended that our son be tested for ADHD (which was interesting because he didn't qualify two years ago), and they got him in later that week for the group screening time.  These last 2 appointments happened to be the week before school started, and my poor husband had to go to the parent meeting by himself because I had to be at my contracted beginning of school meeting.

Then the wait started.  Everything was supposed to take 4-6 weeks after they received the paperwork from us and his teacher from last year.  Time dragged and school finally settled into a routine.  A routine that included my 3rd grade son having a hard time keeping himself organized, of more and more temper tantrums before school and after school.  

I was researching online about ODD and it seemed that he had every "symptom" listed.  I blamed myself, but then got the wake up call that as parents we had done nothing wrong.  What worked for our other 2 boys just wasn't working for him because his brain is wired differently.  

Then the official call came in, and of course they wanted to meet with us.  They don't want to meet with you in person if nothing is wrong.  So we went in, and they told us the official diagnosis.  ADHD and ODD.  No surprise there.  At least I had read about it.  What surprised me was the depression that overtook me for the past 3 weeks.  The reality that this is our life.  I know that sounds bad.  I had been hoping for years that his impulsiveness and stubbornness would be a phase.  To learn that he will have hardships for years until that portion of his brain develops (which it develops at a slower pace than average kids), and that he will have to learn coping techniques... It was just more than a little overwhelming.   

  We have started behavior therapy because it's been known to work.  2 appointments into it and we have a plan.  We are presently trying out the plan of "I need you to do this ____, and then you can do that____."  It's all about rewards and retraining the brain to want to do those things that will cause him to get rewards.  The therapist has said that he will fight us with these changes, that it's going to be more challenging as we are putting more intensity into changing the behavior.  It's been a tough week.  He is motivated because if this doesn't work the other plan is to take away everything in his room and he has to earn everything using a ticket system.  

We went in for another dr. appointment and he started ADHD medication this past week.  As a teacher, I have seen the beauty when meds work.  I haven't seen the hardships that go on behind the scenes though.  Of learning the hard way that he can't take his pill with milk because it will cause a stomach ache.  That when it wears off around 4 he will become a bear to be around.  Right now he's on the lowest dosage, and so far it's not helping him to completely focus yet.  We have to give it another week or so, and then we can regroup.  

In the meantime, since he has an official diagnosis, we have also asked for testing through school for any learning disabilities.  If nothing else a 504 to make sure he gets accommodations when he needs them.  Life is definitely not dull these days.  

I guess I'm not putting this out there for any other reason to let you know where I've been.  That I haven't fallen off the planet, just that my plate has been completely full.  That once again I'm learning to give it all up to God, and let Him carry us through this difficult time.  

Please keep my family in your prayers as we navigate the best plan of action for our son.  We love him so much, and we want the best for him (like all parents do).

Thank you!

Finding Balance {Freebie}

Balance... a word that I'm NOT good at.  Once again it's going to be a goal to aim for this coming school year.

I found this old whiteboard in our garage (doesn't every teacher have a whiteboard in their garage?), so I used ribbon to divide it up into 4 sections.  Then I made up these headers to stick into the corners.

That weekly plan whiteboard is something I found at a thrift store.  I decided to put "home" on that since it is portable and my goal is to aim for one house thing a day.  Splitting up the laundry, etc...

This is sitting on a bookshelf in our bedroom/office area.  Just a little reminder of that balance I'm searching for.

Hope it helps someone.  Have a great day!

Life in the Summer

Remember last week when I was playing the game - Let's Rearrange the Furniture?  Well I overdid it and sprained my neck.  I'm not having fun anymore....

So, somethings I have learned from this whole experience... and how I can turn them into life lessons.

*You can only look forward, not worry about what's behind.  People in the past will have to take care of themselves.  Yes, figurative and literal... Driving has been a little hard since I can't turn my head to the right.

*Let other people help you.  If they offer, let them.  If they don't offer - ask.  Ask for help.  Ask for advice.

*It could be worse.  After 4 days of suffering I finally called the advice nurse and she thought that this neck thing was related to possible heart problems since there is a family history.  I got so scared thinking I was having a heart attack and not knowing it.  She booked me an emergency appointment and got me right in to find out that it was "just a sprain".

*Healing is a process.  I like fast fixes.  I don't like things to hurt, and this neck thing had me in tears the last few days.  Healing takes time and it will be worth it in the long run. 

*I'm not superwoman.  I can't do it by myself.  I learned that the hard way.

  Okay - enough about my neck - here's what I've been up to today:

Felt squares are great to use as whiteboard wipes.  Each piece of felt created 6 rectangles.  These kiddos are getting purple to use because Michael's had them for only 9 cents per sheet.  I still need to add their classroom number with a sharpie, but they are basically done.  

I started a new blog yesterday.  You might have seen those Postcard Exchange sign ups going around - well, I decided to host a Virtual Postcard Exchange.  It's called Classrooms Sharing Places, and it's a place for classrooms to learn about other areas of the world.  There is also a page to sign up as interested in having a pen pal, sign the guest book, and templates to use if you want to submit your place.    

My school work went outside this morning.  Cutting lamination seemed to go a little quicker while watching my boys play with the neighbor kids down the street - they are those far dots.  

Hope you have a wonderful day!  

 

My House Decorations - Want to See??

Linking up with Christina to share some pictures of my decorated house.   

We use these wooden garlands around all the downstair doorways.  Some of the doors also get a little wreath.  

Outside we have Frosty (and 2 deer).

I've always had this thing with nutcrackers.  The little "traditional" one in the front I've had since junior high or high school… long enough to forget when exactly I picked him up.  The teacher one my student gave me a couple of years ago.  

Yes, somehow my boys' stocking holders broke while in storage - and those things are expensive to replace.  Between our extra curious dog and our 3 year old (they would have pulled them down from the mantle), we decided to use wreath holders on the boys' bedroom doors.  I love them!    

My in laws like to move every couple of years… and every time they move they give us more of their stuff.  I loved this little town, so my mother in law sent them over about 7 years ago.  As the boys have grown, they are in charge of setting this up every year.  Some years they put "snow" under the houses, this year they didn't.  

Our tree makes me happy - even though we have to rearrange the furniture to fit it.  This year hubby had to take all the lights off of it (it was a pre lit tree), since all the lights died after 10 years of using it.  Now it has LED lights that will last a lot longer.  

My sister is letting us use this tree on our kitchen counter.  It is extra festive!

Go show off your house decorations over at the linky party!  

Hope you had a great day!  Thank you so much for your support with the TPT sale!  I picked up some great deals the past couple of days too.  :)  

Let's Get Acquainted

It's time for another Let's Get Acquainted Party - this time it's a Tic Tac Toe Edition

College

I went to Biola University and a favorite memory included going with my friends to a dressy dinner at the Disneyland hotel.  Yes, Disneyland was 15 minutes away from school, so it was a constant source of entertainment.  I went with a group of friends, dressed in a ball gown (it was that dressy), and after the dinner we went into Disneyland with our season passes to ride some rides.

First Year of Teaching

When I graduated from Biola (Southern CA), I was offered a position at my student teaching site.  BUT I had my heart set on returning to my hometown (Northern CA) where there weren't any teaching positions available.  After a frustrating summer with only a couple of interviews, I was called 3 days before school started to interview at my own elementary school.  Only it wasn't for a classroom teacher position.  It was for a 40% science teacher position... I grabbed my student teaching Life Cycle Unit Binder (where I had been in charge of all the lessons revolving around those baby chicks) and headed out the door.  The interview went great - though it was weird being inside the principal's office.  I was offered that position, in addition to another 40% science position at another school across town.  My weeks were busy that year even with only teaching 80%.  I taught Monday & Tuesday at my old school, sharing a classroom with the other science teacher teaching 2nd, 3rd, and 5th graders.  Then on Wednesday & Thursday I went to the other school, had my own classroom, and taught 1st, 2nd, and 4th graders.  I had Fridays off so I was able to sub for the 9 classes that I taught.  I met my future husband in February of that year, and had my appendix out that March.  Awww... memories.  :) 

My Favorite Grade to Teach and Why

Over the past 13 years of teaching I've taught everything from Kindergarten to 8th grade, special education, to science, to general education.  What I really love is 4th grade.  In college I had my head wrapped around primary, I think mainly since that's what my mom taught her entire career.  I LOVE my 4th graders though.  Yes, I did leave 4th grade for 4 years because there was an opportunity to teach 2nd grade, in a non rotating room, with only 20 kids, on a year round schedule... BUT when the opportunity came back to teach 4th I jumped at it.  The kids are the perfect age for me.  They are independent, they get my jokes, and they still love their teacher.  Then you add the curriculum: California history, fun math, and literature that I still love from when I was little  - and it's the perfect combination.  :)  

I hope you go link up too!

Bon Voyage! Alaska Bound & SALE

Hi Everyone.

You might be thinking - yesterday, she said no more internet... well this is brought to you from the "schedule" feature of blogging.  :)  

So - yeah - I'm heading out to sea this morning.

I'm so excited.  I have always wanted to visit Alaska.  We've been looking at the excursion options and trying to decide how and where to splurge.  Don't know when we will be able to visit again.  :)

So here's what we ended up with as for luggage (at least as of Saturday night):

Yep - 3 gigantic suitcases, a smaller carry on, our toiletries bag, the boys backpacks for toys, our backpack with all the electronic gadgets, our stroller, the potty chair is tucked inside the carry on, with the smaller collapsable one inside his backpack, the diaper bag/backpack (not shown), and my purse.

... and my husband's back is still sore.  :)  Fun for me!  

Here are the stops for our trip - Pictures are from Princess Cruises Lines.

Juneau

Ketchikan

We are planning on seeing a lumberjack show.

Skagway

Tracy Arm Fjord

I'm excited to see the icebergs up close. 

Victoria, B.C.

I've been to Victoria before after I graduated college.  My mom and I had a special weekend just the 2 of us.  We stayed at the Empress, had tea, went to the gardens, etc... this trip my boys really want to do the Pirate excursion.  I'm positive that it's going to be so different... and the day that we land will be my husband's 40th birthday - so I really doubt he will want to have high tea with me.  :)

Over the next 10 days I have a bunch of "revisits" to share with you.  Things that I posted last summer that have been a big hit over on Pinterest.  Basically a reminder of what I did or made, and what actually happened over the last school year with those items.

Also wanted to give you a heads up that I'm throwing a sale over at TPT to celebrate this happy day with my family.  It'll be going today and tomorrow.  Happy Day!  

I'm sure I'm going to have internet withdrawals, but we aren't splurging on it that often... my Kindle is loaded and books have been downloaded, my nano and phone are charged, and we're heading out!

Take care people!